The Hunger Games

Could you survive on your own, in the wild, with everyone out to make sure you don't live to see the morning? In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by 12 outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Splintered

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of Underland, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers - precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

I didn't know much going into this audiobook except that it was based off Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. It took me a bit of time to get into the story. I wasn't sure about Alyssa and none of the characters really caught my attention at first. Then as the book went on and it shifted over to Wonderland, I got interested in what was happening. I liked seeing how Howard used the setting from Carroll's Wonderland and, like Carroll, played with words and showed how at first the words you read can be deceptive and mean something totally different than what you can expect. So, in the end, Howard pulled me in.

Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison

With a career, a boyfriend, and a loving family, Piper Kerman barely resembles the reckless young woman who delivered a suitcase of drug money 10 years ago. But that past has caught up with her. Convicted and sentenced to 15 months at the infamous federal correctional facility in Danbury, Connecticut, the well-heeled Smith College alumna is now inmate #11187-424 - one of the millions of women who disappear "down the rabbit hole" of the American penal system.

Yes, I finally got around to reading this book - or listening to it. I have to admit, I didn't think this book was going to be a right fit for me but I ended up loving it. I thought Piper's story was compelling and sympathetic. I appreciated the way she went to do her time and didn't feel sorry for herself. The plethora of characters Piper met inside the prison were so interesting and each one's tale was worth hearing about. I'd kinda like to know what happened to them after the book.

Attachments: A Novel

Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder, coworkers at The Courier, know the newspaper monitors their office e-mail. But they still spend all day sending each other messages, gossiping about their coworkers, and baring their personal lives like an open book. Jennifer tells Beth everything she can’t seem to tell her husband about her anxieties over starting a family. And Beth tells Jennifer everything, period. Meanwhile, Lincoln O’Neill still can’t believe that it’s his job to monitor other people’s e-mail.

This book was so much fun. I loved the friendship between Beth and Jennifer. Their emails back and forth were so much fun and, I must admit, they reminded me a lot of my friends and I. And the idea that someone could be reading our emails - AAACK! But Lincoln was all kinds of perfect and I would love to find my own Lincoln. The atmosphere and feel of this audiobook reminded me so much of You've Got Mail and Sleepless in Seattle. Rainbow Rowell could definitely be the successor to Nora Ephron in the romantic comedy field.

Dark Places: A Novel

Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in "The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas". As her family lay dying, little Libby fled their tiny farmhouse into the freezing January snow. She lost some fingers and toes, but she survived, and famously testified that her 15-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer. Twenty-five years later, Ben sits in prison, and troubled Libby lives off the dregs of a trust created by well-wishers who've long forgotten her.

Wow! I have never read a book with so many unlikable characters. Libby, the main character, is totally unlikeable and it so hard to feel sorry for her even though she went through this horrible tragedy. It's actually that tragedy that made her so unlikeable. But despite not liking the characters, I still got caught up in the mystery and wondering exactly what happened that night Libby's family was killed. Was Ben guilty? Or was someone else the murderer and Ben set up? I kept trying to figure out the killer and I was partly correct. I must say, I do like Gillian Flynn's writing style. I read Gone Girl and was amazed by the twists and turns. This book didn't have the twists and turns but she painted a horribly accurate picture of families living in poverty. I think I will go on to read Sharp Objects and see what that one's about and compare it to these two.

Sixth Grave on the Edge: Charley Davidson, Book 6

Most girls might think twice before getting engaged to someone like Reyes Farrow - but Charley Davidson is not most girls. She’s a paranormal private eye and grim-reaper-in-training who’s known to be a bit of a hell-raiser, especially after a few shots of caffeine. Her beloved Reyes may be the only begotten son of evil, but he’s dark and sultry and deeply sexy and everything Charley could hope for. Really. But when the FBI file on Reyes’ childhood happens to land into her lap, she can’t help herself: She opens it...and then the real fun begins.

There's nothing more enjoyable than listening to a Charley Davidson book. Charley is such a fun and sarcastic and smart heroine. Charley knows she bumbles around but she also figures things out. She doesn't need anybody to take care of her but it sure is nice having Reyes Farrow and her rottweiler. What impresses me most about this series is that I'm on book six and never tire of listening to them and always come out of one thinking they are too short. I laugh, I cry, I get tense. All the things I look for in a book. And Lorelei King is the perfect narrator.

Death and the Girl Next Door

Ten years ago, Lorelei's parents disappeared without a trace. Raised by her grandparents and leaning on the support of her best friends, Lorelei is finally beginning to accept the fact that her parents are never coming home. For Lorelei, life goes on. High school is not quite as painful as she thinks it will be, and things are as normal as they can be. Until the day the school's designated loner, Cameron Lusk, begins to stalk her, turning up where she least expects it, standing outside her house in the dark, night after night. Things get even more complicated when a new guy - terrifying, tough, sexy Jared Kovach - comes to school.

Darynda Jones' Charley Davidson series is one of my absolute favorite book series. So I was very interested to see how I was going to like her young adult series. It's not Charley Davidson but it is a ton of fun. I felt like this book did a lot of build up for the other books in the series instead of jumping into and having a complete story in and of itself. However, Lorelei has a lot of the same sarcasm that Charley has and I totally see similarities between other characters in the Charley Davidson series and this series. Of course, that could be just because both series use the same narrator, Lorelei King. As usual, Lorelei King does a fantastic job with this audiobook.

Wizard's First Rule: Sword of Truth, Book 1

In the aftermath of the brutal murder of his father, Richard Cypher encounters a mysterious woman, Kahlan Amnell, in his forest sanctuary. She seeks his help...and more. His world, his very beliefs, are shattered when ancient debts come due with thundering violence.

This is one of those books that I should have read. It's been on my list for forever. I've had the audiobook since about 2008 but I just never got around to listening to it. But now I finally did! And what an experience this was. I will admit that it took me about three hours to get into the audiobook. There was a lot of build up and I wasn't sure what was happening and didn't get the story. But once I figured it out, this was a terrific audiobook and story. Goodkind built a magnificent and layered world. He didn't spare his main character from pain and suffering. And the happy ending still left tons of questions and openings for the future stories. Yes, I will definitely be recommending this book to other fantasy lovers (if they haven't already read it) and I will be picking up the other books. Although the narration of the audiobook was terrific, I will be reading the others in physical books. I can just read them so much faster than the story gets read to me and these books are huge commitments.

We Were Liars

A beautiful and distinguished family. A private island. A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy. A group of four friends - the Liars - whose friendship turns destructive. A revolution. An accident. A secret. Lies upon lies. True love. The truth. We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.

All I can say is this was a great book. I had figured out the main part of the ending but it was still a beautiful journey getting there. Adriadne Meyers did a perfect job on the narration and I highly recommend the audiobook.

The One: Selection, Book 3

The time has come for one winner to be crowned. When she was chosen to compete in the Selection, America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown - or to Prince Maxon's heart. But as the end of the competition approaches, and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realizes just how much she stands to lose - and how hard she'll have to fight for the future she wants.

Overall, I enjoyed this series. I got frustrated with America because it always felt like she was making the wrong decisions or just flat out not making decisions. Even at the beginning of this book, I felt like she still could go either way in choosing between Aspen and Maxon and I just wanted her to make a decision. But then, once the action got started, she seemed to stiffen up her spine and make decisions and even become ready to fight for a new way of life.

I think Amy Rubinate did a great job with the narration and will definitely listen to other books narrated by her.

Fragile Things

Marvelous creations, including a short story set in the world of The Matrix and others set in the worlds of gothic fiction and children's fiction, can be found in this extraordinary collection, which showcases Gaiman's storytelling brilliance as well as his entertaining (and dark) sense of humor.

In short, this is another great installment from Neil Gaiman. Some of the stories blew me over (A Study In Emerald) and others were forgettable. But the entire time, I was lost in the world of Neil Gaiman's imagination (which has no competition). This story collection is worth picking up just for the American Gods story featuring Shadow.

Your report has been received. It will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.

Can't wait to hear more from this listener?

You can now follow your favorite reviewers on Audible.

When you follow another listener, we'll highlight the books they review, and even email* you a copy of any new reviews they write. You can un-follow a listener at any time to stop receiving their updates.

* If you already opted out of emails from Audible you will still get review emails by the listeners you follow.